Before the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers came along and got me interested in pro basketball in the mid 80s, I grew up a fan of the NHL and the Minnesota North Stars.
The 81 Stars were a plucky team that could never beat a few of its key rivals, namely the Boston Bruins. I can't remember the exact number of the streak, but the guys in green went to the Boston Garden in late February of 1981 without having won there in seemingly (possibly) forever.
Being that this was the old school and archaic NHL, North Stars skipper Glen Sonmor told his squad that they did not come to Boston to win an actual game of hockey. Rather, they came to Boston to win a brawl.
What happened that night was nothing short of epic. 84 penalties, nearly 400 penalty minutes, 6 suspensions, and record fines. The penalty minutes record would last until 2004. I'll put the game's penalty list up below the fold.
This doesn't exactly qualify for a "favorite" sports highlight, but it certainly is one of the ones I'll remember the most. The Stars lost that night by 4 goals but they delivered a clear message: You will no longer be able to you-know-what with us. This message apparently worked, as the good guys went on to sweep the Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on their way to their first Finals in team history...where they lost 4-1 to the Islanders.
What is your favorite sports highlight?
Penalties:
00:07 02 min highsticking BOS Kasper
00:07 05 min fighting BOS Kasper
00:07 02 min unsportmanlike BOS Crowder
00:07 05 min fighting BOS Crowder
00:07 10 min misconduct BOS Crowder
00:07 02 min highsticking MIN B.Smith
00:07 05 min fighting MIN B.Smith
00:07 02 min unsportmanlike MIN Payne
00:07 02 min unsportmanlike MIN Payne
00:07 05 min fighting MIN Payne
00:07 10 min misconduct MIN Payne
00:07 10 min misconduct MIN Payne
02:53 02 min highsticking BOS Milbury
02:53 02 min highsticking MIN Christoff
03:35 02 min slashing BOS O'Reilly
03:35 05 min fighting BOS O'Reilly
03:35 05 min fighting MIN Carlson
04:28 02 min hooking BOS McCrimmon
05:43 02 min interference MIN Hartsburg
06:02 02 min hooking MIN G.Smith
08:06 02 min BOS BENCH
08:06 05 min fighting BOS Milbury
08:06 05 min fighting BOS Gillis
08:06 10 min misconduct BOS Gillis
08:06 02 min MIN BENCH
08:06 05 min fighting MIN Younghans
08:06 05 min fighting MIN Hartsburg
08:06 10 min misconduct MIN Hartsburg
08:58 02 min highsticking BOS Bourque
08:58 05 min fighting BOS Bourque
08:58 05 min fighting BOS McCrimmon
08:58 05 min fighting BOS McCrimmon
08:58 10 min misconduct BOS McCrimmon
08:58 10 min game misconduct BOS McCrimmon
08:58 02 min roughing BOS McNab
08:58 10 min game misconduct BOS McNab
08:58 02 min roughing BOS O'Reilly
08:58 10 min game misconduct BOS O'Reilly
08:58 02 min roughing BOS Milbury
08:58 10 min game misconduct BOS Milbury
08:58 02 min roughing BOS Crowder
08:58 02 min roughing BOS Crowder
08:58 02 min roughing BOS Crowder
08:58 10 min game misconduct BOS Crowder
08:58 02 min leaving crease BOS Vachon
08:58 02 min roughing MIN MacAdam
08:58 05 min fighting MIN MacAdam
08:58 10 min misconduct MIN MacAdam
08:58 10 min game misconduct MIN MacAdam
08:58 05 min fighting MIN G.Smith
08:58 10 min game misconduct MIN G.Smith
08:58 05 min fighting MIN Roberts
08:58 10 min game misconduct MIN Roberts
08:58 02 min roughing MIN Carlson
08:58 10 min game misconduct MIN Carlson
08:58 02 min roughing MIN Younghans
08:58 10 min game misconduct MIN Younghans
08:58 10 min game misconduct MIN Hartsburg
08:58 10 min game misconduct MIN Payne
08:58 02 min MIN BENCH
08:58 02 min leaving crease MIN Meloche
12:44 02 min interference MIN Maxwell
14:02 02 min slashing MIN Zanussi
17:36 02 min hooking BOS Kasper
29:00 05 min fighting BOS Cashman
29:00 02 min highsticking MIN Maxwell
29:00 05 min fighting MIN Maxwell
29:00 02 min MIN BENCH
32:21 02 min cross-checking BOS Redmond
37:13 05 min fighting BOS Middleton
37:13 05 min fighting MIN Zanussi
39:42 05 min fighting BOS Kasper
39:42 05 min fighting MIN Shmyr
41:35 02 min roughing BOS Lalonde
41:35 05 min fighting BOS Foster
41:35 02 min roughing MIN Christoff
41:35 05 min fighting MIN Christoff
44:48 02 min hooking BOS O'Connell
49:32 02 min tripping BOS Marcotte
58:52 05 min fighting BOS Lalonde
58:52 05 min fighting MIN Christoff